Percy Spender

The Honourable Sir Percy Spender KCVO KBE QC

Member of the Australian Parliament for Warringah
In office 1937 – 1951
Preceded by	Sir Archdale Parkhill
Succeeded by	Francis Bland
Australian Ambassador to the United States
In office 1951–1958
Preceded by	Norman Makin
Succeeded by	Sir Howard Beale
Personal details
Born	October 5, 1897(1897-10-05) Sydney, New South Wales
Died	May 3, 1985(1985-05-03) (aged 87) Sydney, New South Wales
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Occupation	politician

Sir Percy Claude Spender, KCVO, KBE, QC, (5 October 1897 – 3 May 1985), was an Australian politician. diplomat and jurist.

Spender was born in Sydney and educated at the prestigious Fort Street High School and later the University of Sydney. He joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1915. He was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1923 and was made a King's Counsel in 1935.

Spender entered politics at the 1937 election when he was elected to the House of Representatives as member for Warringah. He ran as an independent, defeating the sitting member, Sir Archdale Parkhill. Soon after his election, he joined the government party, the United Australia Party, and held the seat until his resignation from federal politics in 1951. From 1944 was a member of the Liberal Party.

Spender held a number of ministries in Robert Menzies' wartime government. He was Minister without portfolio assisting the Treasurer from April–November 1939, Vice-President of the Executive Council from January–March 1940, then Treasurer until October 1940 and then Minister for the Army until the fall of Arthur Fadden's government in October 1941. He was also a member of the Economic Cabinet (1939–1940), War Cabinet (1939–1941) and the Advisory War Council (1940–1945).

Upon Menzies' return to power in 1949, Spender was made Minister for External Affairs (19 December 1949 – 26 April 1951) and Minister for External Territories. Spender's greatest influence on Australian politics occurred during this period. He led Australian delegations to the British Commonwealth Conference in Colombo, Ceylon and to the Fifth Session of the United Nations General Assembly (of which he was the Vice-President).

At the conference in Colombo, Spender was instrumental in the development of the Colombo Plan (which had originally been known as the Spender Plan). He also played a large part in the signing of the ANZUS Pact^[1] and the Treaty of San Francisco (Japanese Peace Treaty; 1951).

Spender expressed more desire to secure alliances with 'great powers' than contribute to collective security, stating that international organisations like the UN may "contain those who are at work to disrupt the order we believe in".^[2] In this sense Spender was more akin to the realist tradition of Australian foreign politics linked to former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies.^[3]

On leaving politics, Spender was appointed Australia's Ambassador to the United States (1951–58). He was the first Australian appointed to the International Court of Justice in The Hague (1958–1964) and was the Court's President 1964-67.

Spender was internationally well respected, receiving a variety of recognitions. He was conferred the Grande Ufficiale Order of Merit by the Republic of Italy in 1976. He also received ten honorary doctorates. However, a personal rift between himself and Menzies prevented him from receiving the honour which he most desired, appointment to the Privy Council. Spender died in May 1985, aged 87.

His son John Spender was also a politician and diplomat.

References

^ Penrose, Sandra (29 September – 1 October 2004) (PDF). Percy Spender and the origins of ANZUS: an Australian initiative. University of Adelaide. http://www.adelaide.edu.au/apsa/docs_papers/Aust%20Pol/Penrose.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
^ Lowe, D. 2003, 'Percy Spender, Minister and Ambassador', in, Beaumont, J. Waters, C. Lowe, D. and Woddard, G. Ministers, Mandarins and Diplomats: Australian Foreign Policy Making, 1941-1969, Melbourne University Press, p. 70
^ Gyngell, A. and Wesley, M. 2007, Making Australian Foreign Policy (Second Edition), Cambridge University press, Melbourne, p. 11

Political offices
Preceded by James Fairbairn	Vice-President of the Executive Council 1940	Succeeded by Henry Gullett
Preceded by Robert Menzies	Treasurer 1940	Succeeded by Arthur Fadden
Preceded by Philip McBride	Minister for the Army 1940–1941	Succeeded by Frank Forde
Preceded by H.V. Evatt	Minister for External Affairs 1949 - 1951	Succeeded by Richard Casey
Preceded by Eddie Ward	Minister for External Territories 1949 - 1951	Succeeded by Richard Casey
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Sir Archdale Parkhill	Member for Warringah 1937 – 1951	Succeeded by Francis Bland
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Norman Makin	Australian Ambassador to the United States 1951–1958	Succeeded by Sir Howard Beale

Persondata
Name	Spender, Percy
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	5 October 1897
Place of birth	Sydney, New South Wales
Date of death	3 May 1985
Place of death	Sydney, New South Wales